Which of the following is a key characteristic of somatic symptom disorder?

Somatic symptom disorder is primarily characterized by the presence of chronic pain or discomfort that is disproportionate to any medical findings. Individuals with this disorder experience significant distress or impairment in functioning due to their somatic symptoms, which can include a variety of physical complaints that may not be fully explained by a medical condition. This chronic nature of symptoms can lead individuals to seek frequent medical attention, often without any definitive diagnosis explaining their experiences.

When considering other characteristics, love of attention might be a stereotype associated with some psychological conditions, but it doesn't accurately describe somatic symptom disorder itself, as individuals genuinely experience distress from their symptoms. Similarly, while there might not always be identifiable physical signs, the emphasis in somatic symptom disorder is on the persistent discomfort rather than a simple lack of signs. Acute emotional outbursts are also not a defining feature of this disorder; rather, the focus is on the ongoing, distressing physical symptoms that dominate the person's experience.